CORRESPONDENCE. BIOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. BUENS COMPAEED WITH OTHEE LETTEE-WEITEES. of HAVING now arrived at the general mass of our general excellence and perfection, as a piece r Author's Letters, which are devoted to no special artistic w orkmanship according to which, its rank as must be determined : and subject nor limited to any particular class of corre- a literary composition his best its moral characteristics as an of spondents, and in which a number of and second, exponent most characteristic effusions are to be found, we the writer's mind such as its frankness, its have less of mere criticism to advance than the suggestiveness, its reserve; its sprightliness, its its or extent of the subject might seem to call for. It tenderness, its humour; moral dignity its as the remains, indeed, only farther to say, critically delicacy, its solemnity, pathos, subject : considerations in that in this general department there is more or the case may imply two are but which in variety and freedom, more abandon and sometimes criticism which entirely distinct, even more license of style than in most of what judging of letters can hardly ever be separated. certain letters to we have The best intentioned letter in the world (if we except Hill) yet might as luxuriance of of be a failure in and the had before us ; much humour, comparative composition, of eloquence, of illustration, and more diversity of most perfect piece epistolary workmanship of the be in moral so that topic than in almost anything, perhaps, might contemptible aspect; same sort to be met with in the same number of excellence in one way should by no means be to illustrate the as excellence in pages. At this point, however, accepted necessarily implying remarks have hitherto the other. But because more than principles on which our letters, any other sort of are understood to be been founded, and to justify in some degree the composition, of our Author's the of the writer's or the reflec- high opinion we have expressed transcript heart, with that of tion of his or the revelation of himself in epistolary work in comparison others, mind, without which would be of we think it almost indispensable to present a paral- various ways, they value at all both the moral and the artistic lel or two from the same department of literature. no of such are almost invari- In judging a Letter critically, two distinct con- qualities compositions into account the siderations must be taken into account: first, the ably taken together; indeed, its its moral are riot style of its composition its ease, elegance, improperly preferred; although excellence and in both are force; its clearness, its conciseness, its fluency; the highest variety to a letter the rank its adaptation to circumstances or to persons; its indispensable give highest 134 LIFE AND WORKS [PROSE WORKS in its own department of literature. The good- of well-known faculty among his own contem- ness and the honesty which blunder, are not poraries; to whom application for a letter to in- struct order precisely for epistles; but the elegance or per- or to enliven them was their favourite of his fection which lies, or fawns, or grossly flatters, the day had an incomparable style of or outrages, or insults, damns the writer : prolixity own, with a certain interwoven charm of familiar and monotony fatigue, and too much brevity dis- elegance in diction, almost indefinable. We speak appoints the reader. In short, it requires heart, from some reasonable acquaintance with his text. intellect, and pen the heart predominating chiefly The style itself is easy, equable, and varied to a short of the and insinu- produce letter; and nothing equable varied ; respectful, deferential, finest native instinct, or greatest acquired skill, can ating; entertaining in narrative, gossiping in de- regulate their union to perfection. tail; persistent and effective; jocular, and solemnly Letter-writing, as a distinct branch of literature, absurd at carnival seasons, or on carnival topics has been cultivated some of the distin- such as masks and noses methodical by most ; clear, concise, guished authors in ancient and modern times; but on business affairs, and affectionately earnest on the letter-writing of the moderns has the advan- all matters of moment; with a vein of friendliest of more varied natural like in all. tage, perhaps, being and ; humour, quicksilver solution, pervading and foremost, as well as first, among the letter- The diction is always elegant: no slips in that, no writers of modern Europe, the Italians demand inequalities, no blunders, no mistakes. It may not our critical attention and homage. As for the rise to eloquence, for the writer affects nothing; ancients, we cannot now afford space for criticism but it never sinks to commonplace, for he knows on them, nor would it be of much service in his capabilities and his rank. Any topic social, our present work. Cicero, for example, as being political, religious, artistic or absurd; or no topic classic and at but the of some friend purely altogether unimaginative ; whose all, simple demand for letters, although ornate and beautiful, are more a letter, is enough for him. He adopts, or creates, elaborate, didactic, or prosaic works than sympa- or constitutes a topic, from the instant he puts pen thetic or spontaneous effusions we need not here to paper till he kisses hands and retires from view. quote; nor Pliny. They stand by themselves A perfect, masterly, and accomplished letter-writer there, as models of their sort; but have little or is this man. In addition to which, certain moral nothing in common with the passionate or poetic qualities are conspicuous in his epistles, which Scotsman. Before all other letter-writers of the ought particularly in the present case to be speci- highest reputation, we select at once, for com- fied. There is much good nature, much inclina- with the parison Burns, name of Annibal Caro, tion to oblige, much real kindness of disposition; already referred to, as justly entitled to the very amazing discrimination of character, and an almost rank in foremost that department. Montaigne, incomparable tact, when addressing a correspondent r who informs us in his vehement entertaining way, with some object of his own in view. It w ould be that he had as (so early 1580) not fewer than "an difficult, indeed, to imagine anything more perfect hundred several volumes" of Italian letters in his than his manner on such occasions. Yet withal, own library, prefers, without hesitation, to them and in the most delicate or even dangerous cases those of all, Annibal Caro, then recently published; of that kind, a composure resulting from conscious- and no one who has at the admirable of is glanced ness superior capacity perceptible throughout ; of specimens epistolary writing long known to so that no result, whatever it might be, should the world as the "Lettere Famigliari" of that seem to take him by surprise. Some expressions can have author, any doubt at all about his pre- of his, indeed (that might be quoted), in such eminence. difficult circumstances, with every possible con- Annibal Caro who, besides being a poet and dition of success or failure implied, addressed to poetical translator of note, and a dignitary in the those who might have life or death in their hands, whose church, shrewdness and accomplishments are absolute perfection. In these various qualities secured his together own promotion from the as an epistolary writer, and in their combination, humblest sphere, was a recognised letter-writer he is perhaps unrivalled. EDITOR'S REMARKS.] OF ROBERT BURNS. As between him and Burns, there are many was, in fact, impossible for him; and he inevit- of in this view of their or with violence. points resemblance quali- ably breaks through it, awkwardly fications in the ease, the fluency, and the adapt- To Annibal Caro, on the contrary, it was a second in in him ation of language to the character and theme nature. There may be solitary instances hand but there are also of difference most in little of conscious ; points too, which a assumption remarkable, which must now be more minutely superiority, or the slightest strain of vehemence specified. The most prominent of these are (1) occurs; but it is so qualified with easy badinage, the passionate abandon and luxury of speech in or so interwoven with dexterous compliment, Burns on any, and conspicuously on certain topics, that it is scarcely felt or seen. It is impossible, which is scarcely, if ever, manifest in the ecclesi- in fact, in such cases, to tell whether it be there astic. (2) The occasional restlessness, and in- or no. To have been anything else to his cor- equality of tone corresponding to the constitution respondent than an accomplished, persuasive, of the Poet and the Scotchman, which is totally entertaining, and irresistible alter ego, would with imperceptible in the Italian and the Priest. With him have been at once an outrage on etiquette him, all thoughts seem to be regulated, all passions and on humanity. No distinction between two subdued, all personal interests kept in decorous writers of the same sort, and writing undeniably abeyance, and all opinions or expressions on all for the most part with the same object the en- themes however varied (except where display or lightenment or delectation of their correspondents prominence would be becoming or imperative), in view, could be more obvious or complete. dovetailed and adroitest of the two was Annibal Caro the adjusted with absolute nicety, and The ; yet with the utmost ease: Burns also could do manliest of the two was Robert Burns.